tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post8057247420766497869..comments2024-03-18T22:21:33.261-07:00Comments on The Debate Link: Hallow's EveDavid Schraubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-83938256469058978242010-11-01T07:44:57.231-07:002010-11-01T07:44:57.231-07:00I leave it to greater lights than I to prognostica...I leave it to greater lights than I to prognosticate. That said, I think the problem for a committed ideologue is that the public mood appears to be anti-ideological. Or, at least that is what Scott Rasmussen claims in today's Wall Street Journal, writing that we are not dealing with a victory of one part over the other - except in the technical sense - but in the failure of both parties to address issues about which the public care. He claims that this has been the issue of the last several party turn-overs.<br /><br />My gut reaction is that the president did himself and his party in on forecasting that his policies would, by now, have reduced unemployment to 8.5% or better and then by, rather than focusing on achieving that goal by working it repeatedly, changing the subject to healtcare insurance, an important issue but of the second order, except to committed ideologues. Which is to say, I think the reason the Democrats are in trouble are substantive and that they are being blamed for the President's seemingly poor judgment. Rasmussen notes my point as well but sees a broader issue at work, as I already noted.<br /><br />I rather suspect that if the GOP decides to focus on its hatred of all things Democrat, the GOP will do itself in. That would be, to follow Rasmussen's logic further, an even greater misreading of the situation than was made by the President.N. Friedmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-63363253799753132142010-10-31T12:02:04.737-07:002010-10-31T12:02:04.737-07:00Well, that's what I said to her, and she said ...Well, that's what I said to her, and she said that, having worked on midterm elections before, she "knows what a losing campaign feels like" (this apparently wasn't it).David Schraubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-55079484527799583782010-10-31T11:16:56.821-07:002010-10-31T11:16:56.821-07:001) Every candidate worthy of being called such wil...1) Every candidate worthy of being called such will do anything possible to bolster morale in the ranks (especially among staff and employees) in the final days. So there's always a GOTV push or trump card of an ad that will make the difference. And of course, until the moment of truth we can't prove the negative, but I don't see the predictive power.<br /><br />2) The fear among many is that even division, or even a slight advantage, is just not enough if we conclude that the status quo is not working. For environmental groups, for example, delay on global warming legislation is defeat. Same for civil rights, justice delayed is an ongoing injustice. (But if nothing else, the judicial overturn of DADT underscores the importance of liberals actually getting off their backsides and voting for candidates who will appoint and confirm good judges.) And down the line it goes for spending priorities, economic poliicy, etc.joenoreply@blogger.com